Joakim Noah’s NY Post interview is the stuff legends are made of

Of all the offseason New York Knicks signings, Joakim Noah has these NYC streets buzzing like no other. The native New Yorker reps his home city to the fullest both on and off the court with his I don’t give a f**k attitude, and diehard fans can’t wait for the 6’11 center to bring that heat for 82-plus games this season. If there was ever any doubt that he was born ready to rep in orange and blue, sorry Lance Stephenson, this New York Post interview shuts all of that down.

Here are a few highlights from his Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby:

Q: Do you visualize winning championships?
A: Yes.

Q: What do you visualize in a Knicks uniform?
A: I visualize bringing the trophy to the Up & Down nightclub. Have you ever heard of Up & Down? I visualize it right in the middle of my table.

Q: What drives you?
A: I hate to lose. It bothers me, more than any fans. I hate losing. The feeling you get after winning a basketball game driving home? It’s indescribable. It’s the best feeling in the world. Even people who tell you, “I don’t care,” they’re lying. They care.

Q: What won’t you tolerate as a teammate?
A: Selfishness. It’s a plague. It plagues everything.

Q: If you could pick the brain of one person in basketball history, who would you want to sit down with?
A: Phil Jackson.

Q: Why?
A: Because I think that he’s a true historian to the game, and somebody who understands that there’s a lot of life lessons in basketball. It’s one of the reasons why I’m here. I have great respect for what he represents.

Q: If you were president of the United States, you would …
A: I would make it illegal to buy guns.

Q: What are your views on what’s been happening this past week?
A: This past week? … This past decade? Or this past … forever? My views haven’t really changed much. It’s just very sad what’s going on in this country. Not just the police brutality, that’s getting a lot of the headlines right now, but just kids killing kids, and kids having access to automatic rifles, and school shootings. … It’s just disappointing that these laws aren’t changing. It’s almost like you hear all these things, and you almost become numb to the realities. This is not normal. They have to change the laws. They have to change the gun laws.

Q: It’s sad what this country is going through.
A: This is the best country in the world. The most open-minded country in the world. Freedom of speech, you can say whatever you want. There’s so many great things about this country. I’ve traveled the world. I’ve lived in a lot of different countries … but this gun violence is out of control, and they need to do something about it.

Q: If you were NBA commissioner, you would …
A: I would take away the dress code thing, definitely.

Q: If your life story becomes a movie, who would play you?
A: Jason Momoa.

Q: What are your memories of Kennedy Fried Chicken?
A: I ate a lot of Kennedy Fried Chicken growing up. I remember after practice, I would order my Kennedy Fried Chicken, and I would get on the 7 train back into the city. And I remember Mr. Green telling me, “You’re finally a New Yorker, because if you’re comfortable eating your Kennedy Fried Chicken on the 7 train, then you are officially a New Yorker.”

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